LOS ANGELES – Like they did in the conference call that preceded UFC 232’s fight week, Amanda Nunes and Cris Cyborg said in Thursday’s press conference that their champ vs. champ clash isn’t personal.

Like in the previous news conference, though, there was some light friction between the two Brazilians – with an intense face-off to boot.

Cyborg (20-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Nunes (17-4 MMA, 9-1 UFC) had been somewhat quiet presences throughout the pre-fight news conference in Los Angeles, which was largely dominated by the conversation around former champion Jon Jones and the abnormal drug tests that led Saturday’s entire card to be moved from Las Vegas to Southern California.

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As the conference came to a close, though, the two were asked whether there was a personal component to the showdown, which serves as the co-headliner of Saturday’s pay-per-view main card at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Nunes was first to answer.

“For me, since Day 1, it always was business,” Nunes said. “You can see from my posts, you can see from my social media, all business. I don’t know (about) her.”

Cyborg, once more, addressed the fact that she initially wasn’t too into the idea of going up against a fellow Brazilian champ and reiterated that “I have nothing against Amanda.” Her follow-up to that, though, didn’t seem to sit all that well with Nunes.

“I just feel like it’s so hard to be the champion and I know, after Saturday, if I beat her, nobody’s going to look at her like the champion of 135,” Cyborg said.

“But I’ll still go down and defend my belt,” Nunes interrupted, to which Cyborg responded with a request to “let me finish.”

“I’m still going to have my belt,” Nunes added. “I’m going to fight you and go down to 135.”

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As Cyborg resumed, she once again pointed to Nunes’ part in the delay in making the champ vs. champ bout happen, before reiterating that “I don’t have anything against her” in what turned out to be the last answer of the press conference.

“We’re just going to fight on Saturday and I’m going to do my best and bring my belt home,” Cyborg said.

Cyborg is, indeed, the only one risking a belt on Saturday, as 135-pound champ Nunes is the one coming up for the distinction of becoming only the third fighter to hold two UFC belts simultaneously. But there’s arguably a bigger, if less palpable title on the line when the two dominant champions clash.

At least according to UFC President Dana White, who put in no uncertain terms what he believes the co-headliner entails.

“This is for the baddest woman on the planet,” White said, after agreeing that this is the biggest fight in women’s MMA history. “I think if you look at the women’s division since we started, as we continue to grow and get bigger and create more stars and big fights, this is the fight that I’ve been talking about for a long time – that I felt needed to happen.

“I think that these two are, without a doubt, the two baddest women on Earth and we need to find out which one is. It’s a fun fight. I love this fight. I’ve wanted this fight for a long time. And as far as the women’s division goes, this is the biggest fight ever in the women’s division.”

Nunes seems to be on board with the “baddest woman” bit, having stated in a previous occasion that the winner of Saturday’s co-headliner would “definitely” be worthy of women’s MMA GOAT accolades. Asked the same question at the conference, though, Cyborg was a little less incisive. “I train really hard to be my best,” she said, but left the final call up to her fans.

“If my fans say that, maybe I can believe that,” Cyborg said.

“GOAT” discussions, of course, are hardly ever unanimous in any sport – MMA included. But, the argument for this particular bout does come with some strong stats.

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Going into her fourth UFC featherweight appearance, Cyborg is on a 21-fight unbeaten streak. Not only has she defeated almost everyone she’s faced (except for a loss in her pro debut, and a 2011 win later ruled a no-contest), she’s done it dominantly. At UFC 219 in December 2017, former bantamweight champ Holly Holm became the first fighter to take Cyborg to a decision in nine years, albeit unsuccessfully.

There’s a reason why Nunes is widely regarded as Cyborg’s biggest challenge to date, though. Despite the size disadvantage, considering Nunes has competed at 135 for the majority of her career, she enters the bout on a seven-fight winning streak that includes the likes of Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and and Valentina Shevchenko,

Nunes’ credentials are somewhat reflected in the betting lines. Although Cyborg remains a favorite, it’s by a tighter margin than usual. Not that Cyborg, herself, cares about that type of thing.

“I never check who the favorite is or who isn’t,” Cyborg said. “I’m always focused on my training and that doesn’t affect me. I go in there and do my job. I don’t take what’s outside of that into consideration.”

As for what Nunes has over all but one of the women who have tried – and failed – at taking down her compatriot?